david rodríguez, m.th....v. o holy ghost, sweet guest of my soul, r. abide in me and grant that i...

David Rodríguez, M.Th.

V. O Holy Ghost, sweet Guest of my soul,

R. Abide in me and grant

that I may ever abide in Thee.

Raccolta Prayers 277 & 278

V. O Holy Ghost, spirit of truth, come into our hearts;

R. Shed the brightness of Thy light upon the nations, that they may please Thee in unity of faith.

V. May the grace of the Holy Ghost,

R. Enlighten our senses

and our hearts.

Raccolta Prayers 280 & 281

V. May our hearts be cleansed, O Lord, by the inpouring of the Holy Ghost,

R. And may He render them fruitful

by watering them with His heavenly dew.

(1) There is a Problem

Heresy of Emotionalism

(2) Understand the Problem

(3) Solution to the Problem

(4) Illustrative Examples

Message of Fatima

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

The Problem Many Fallen Away Catholics

Seeking a Religious High

“church hopping”

New Age ‘Spirituality’

religious sect C

religious sect A religious sect B

religious sect D New Age Evolutionism

Environmentalism Occult

The Problem Many Fallen Away Catholics

Seeking a Religious High

“church hopping”

New Age ‘Spirituality’

Popular Maxims

“Follow your heart.”

“Do what feels right.”

“Trust your gut.”

“Obey your conscience”

“Just find your truth.”

The Problem Many Fallen Away Catholics

Seeking a Religious High

New Age ‘Spirituality’

Popular Maxims

Constitutive of Many Grave Problems

Errors against Catholic Doctrine

Moral and religious relativism

Breakdown in the family

So-called ‘trans-gender’ ideology

The Problem Many Fallen Away Catholics

Seeking a Religious High

New Age ‘Spirituality’

Popular Maxims

Constitutive of Many Grave Problems

Ancient Origins

Garden of Eden

We are all on the “heresy of emotionalism” spectrum

Know Thyself (and the problem!)

Know Thyself Man is a Body-Soul composite

Man is made imago Dei

Male and female He created us

Body includes Exterior Senses and Emotions

Human Soul includes Mind and Will

And there is a definite order – hierarchy!

Which is inverted by the devil,

Damaged by sin,

And healed by grace.

St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa, Part I, Q.77-83 on “Man”

Basic Christian Anthropology The Human Person (metaphor by way of illustration)

SOUL

MIND

WILL

BODY

PASSIONS Irascible Passions

Future Present Past Courage Hope Despair Fear Anger

Concupiscible Passions

Future Present Past Desire Love Joy Aversion Hatred Sadness

1. Definitions

2. Historical Origins

3. Philosophical Underpinnings

4. Theological Analysis

Emotion: Connected to feelings, opinions, thoughts, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. [passions]

Emotionalism: [1] A tendency to regard things and make judgments primarily based on one’s emotions. [2] A strong or excessive appeal to the emptions.

Heresy of Emotionalism: To permit one’s faith, moral values, religious beliefs, or relationship with God, to be led excessively by one’s emotions (out of right order).

Definitions

Historical Origins

Paganism

Greek Philosophers

Catholicism

Decreasing Emotionalism

Historical Origins Martin Luther

Religious innovations based on his psychosis

“Direct” (personal and individual) connection to God without the Church as an intermediary

Less (or no) emphasis on objective realities (outside oneself) such as Tradition, Sacraments, Liturgy, Doctrine, Hierarchy,

Martin Luther

Historical Origins Growth of Protestantism…

Jan Hus

Ulrich Zwingly

Henry VIII

John Calvin

Meno Simmons

John Smyth

John Wesley

And others…

Joseph Smith

Charles Russell

Ron L. Hubbard

Aleister Crowley

Philosophical Underpinnings

Humanism – Man as the measure of all things.

Protestant Revolution

Scientific Revolution

Rationalism vs. Empiricism

Philosophical Underpinnings

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

Man can only perceives that which is within him.

Hence, reality necessarily has a subjective dimension.

Philosophical Underpinnings

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

Man can only perceives that which is within him.

Hence, reality necessarily has a subjective dimension.

Effect Upon Religion

Martin Luther and Rise of Protestantism

“Natural Religion”

Lord Herbert of Cherbury (1583-1648)

Leads to Deism and Freemasonry

Martin Luther and Rise of Protestantism

“Natural Religion”

Lord Herbert of Cherbury (1583-1648)

Leads to Deism and Freemasonry

“Leap of Faith” of Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1885)

Experience has priority over dogma

“Faith” (trust/feeling) not “Belief”

Emotions and feelings of individual

Importance of personal choice and commitment

Effect Upon Religion

Martin Luther and Rise of Protestantism

Pentecostalism

Wesleyan-Holiness Revival Movement (19th cent.)

2nd Work of Grace is “Entire Sanctification”

Charles Fox Parham (1873-1929)

3rd Work of Grace is “Baptism of the Holy Spirit”

Imminent Second Coming, apostolic gifts, tongues, prophecy, healings, miracles

William J. Seymour (1870-1922)

Asuza St. Revival in Los Angeles (1906 ~ 1915)

Note: 1st Work of Grace is “Salvation”

Effect Upon Religion

Effect Upon Religion

Martin Luther and Rise of Protestantism

Pentecostalism

Wesleyan-Holiness Revival Movement (19th cent.)

2nd Work of Grace is “Entire Sanctification”

Charles Fox Parham (1873-1929)

3rd Work of Grace is “Baptism of the Holy Spirit”

Imminent Second Coming, apostolic gifts, tongues, prophecy, healings, miracles

William J. Seymour (1870-1922)

Asuza St. Revival in Los Angeles

Note: 1st Work of Grace is “Salvation”

You have to prove it to others, SHOW it!

You have to FEEL it!

The exercise of religion easily becomes a ‘show’.

This leads to a great deal of manipulation.

This also brings about uncertainty.

God often appears emotional, volatile, and untrustworthy.

There is a lack of sure knowledge, confidence, stability and peace.

And no wonder: for Satan himself transformeth himself into an angel of light. (2 Cor 11:14)

Theological Analysis

All man’s faculties are meant to work together, each in its proper order, to lead man towards God.

Body (senses, emotions) – BEAUTY

Mind (know) – TRUTH

Will (choose) – GOOD

Theological Analysis

All man’s faculties are meant to work together, each in its proper order, to lead man towards God.

Body (Senses, Emotions) – BEAUTY

Mind (know) – TRUTH

Will (choose) – GOOD

Our passions are also good (created by God) but they are tainted by Original Sin.

They must be governed by right reason.

They must be regulated in due order by the will.

They are not meant to be used as a gauge of prudence or as a faculty of judgment.

St. Thomas’ Summa, Part Two of Part II, Q.47, 58, 60

Theological Analysis

Four stages in a relationship:

[2] Reality – TRUTH

[3] Crisis (despair) – SACRIFICE

[4] Authentic Love – GOOD

[1] Infatuation – BEAUTY

Theological Analysis

Consolations / Desolations in the Spiritual Life

Too many want to go from consolation to consolation

This is not what the spiritual life is about; consolations do not last.

God wants us to grow in our love for Him. This requires desolations, perseverance, and sacrifice. (Faith, Hope and Charity).

Four stages in a relationship:

[2] Reality – TRUTH

[3] Crisis (despair) – SACRIFICE

[4] Authentic Love – GOOD

[1] Infatuation – BEAUTY

Decreasing Emotionalism

Catholicism

Greek Philosophers

Ancient Pagans New Age / Occult / Neo-Paganism

Age of Darkening

Increasing Emotionalism

Protestant Revolt

1. Identify

2. Know Thyself

3. Hear His Voice

4. Guidance of the Holy Ghost

5. Proper Discernment

Basic Christian Anthropology The Human Person (metaphor by way of illustration)

SOUL

MIND

WILL

BODY

PASSIONS

Irascible Passions

Future Present Past Courage Hope Despair Fear Anger

Concupiscible Passions

Future Present Past Desire Love Joy Aversion Hatred Sadness

John 10: 1…16

The Good Shepherd

The sheep know His voice

Hear His Voice Thief, Wolf, Hireling

He lays down His life

One fold!

Sacraments

Scripture (rightly interpreted)

Divine & Natural Law

[Authentic] Church Teaching

Proper Church Authority (good shepherds)

Voice of the Saints

Prayer (Raccolta, Mental Prayer!)

Hear His Voice

Guidance of the Holy Ghost John 14: 15…27

Love … Commandments

Spirit of Truth

He shall abide with you

Not accepted by the world

Make our abode with him

Teach you all things

Pray for the Gifts of the Holy Ghost

Sacred Tradition

[Legitimate] Laws of the Church

Go to the Cross!

Go to Mary!

Guidance of the Holy Ghost

1) Use Objective Criteria

2) Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence

3) St. Ignatius’ Rules for Discerning the Spirits

4) Message of Fatima – The True Story of Fatima

Proper Discernment